


We Are (Not) Monsters

by coral_dragon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dark, Alternate Universe - Future, Canon Universe, Enjoy the pain, F/M, Implied Psychological Trauma, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, No Character Death, and the borderline insane characters, but divergent kinda, i don't really know how to tag this, it's my major fic so it's p complex, klance, mention of death and killing, they're a tad broken, typical dark and gritty take, will probably have sexual content later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-10 02:53:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7827556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coral_dragon/pseuds/coral_dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumours of the Paladins of Voltron jump from planet to planet. Most are good. Freedom Fighters, they’re called. Heroes. Warriors of Peace.<br/>But some are darker. Merciless killers, some say. Brainwashed child soldiers say others.<br/>Monsters.<br/>They hear them all and ignore them all. They have their own reasons for fighting. But when they’re called back to Earth, they realise just how much they’ve changed. Not entirely for the better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So: HERE’S THE VOLTRON AU I’VE BEEN WORKING ON  
> The first few chapters basically count as prologues, setting up the story and such. I have no idea of an update schedule at this point. But I'm super excited for this work because I've been obsessing over it for weeks.
> 
> I always love how my brain goes "you realise the protagonists of your fave cartoon are actually child soldiers and would be so psychologically damaged by what they do?? how about you write about that?"
> 
> Shout out to @not-just-any-fangirl (aka Macey) for reading it over as always <3

It hadn't struck them the first few times. Up until recently nearly all their opponents had been sentries - robots, mindless drones that were kind of fun to smash. When they were shooting down other ships, it was easy to believe that they were the same.

A casualty free war. Like a simulator.

If only.

Even the first few times they had faced off against actual Galran soldiers, it had been unnervingly easy to push the reality to the back of their minds. More focused on surviving against the ‘evil’ enemies who barely looked human anyway. If it wasn't such a risk to themselves, it might have even passed as a cool video game.

But then they got better. And they started to see.

It started with Hunk stumbling upon the broken body of a Galran soldier as he and Pidge salvaged from the wreckage. He had thrown up then and there. He was the first of them to falter. The reality clashing harshly with his naturally gentle personality. They all saw it shake him to his core. Shiro took him away for the rest of the day and in the morning his resolve had returned.

A similar sequence had played out with Pidge, who had looked, frozen, at Lance in the middle of a battle, covered in blood that wasn't hers and struggling not to hyperventilate. Lance had sworn colourfully and talked her down, keeping her mental breakdown at bay until they could get back to the Castle. For fuck’s sake, the girl was only _fourteen_. She should never have experienced some of the things she had. Fortunately, Pidge was fierce and determined; she hadn't needed help to come to terms with it, just grit her teeth and pushed forward. Hadn’t given herself any other option.

“Lance!”

And suddenly Lance in back in the present just in time to see  Keith’s sword plunge through the neck of an opponent. It slid out again a moment later with a sharp tug, a waterfall of blood following in its wake.

“Stop zoning out! What the fuck is wrong with you today?”

 

\-------------------

 

“Wrong with _me_ ?! Are you seriously asking what the fuck is wrong with _me_?! As if you can fucking talk?”

They were back in the control room, always the first stop after their lion’s hangars. Lance had rounded on Keith the minute the walked through the doors, not giving him any chance to prepare for the verbal onslaught.

“There is nothing wrong with me! I’m a normal fucking human! Gods, this is so _fucked_! This situation is so messed up! Do you even realise that, Robot Man? Do you even have feelings?”

Lance didn’t even notice the looks shared by the other Paladins, nor Shiro’s attempt to step forward, only to be stopped by Hunk and a small shake of his head. Lance needed to let this out. He had finally broken. Hunk understood Lance more than any of the others; he knew that Lance had been pushing every single thing he felt aside for the sake of the team. To keep them positive, moving forward - together. He was allowed this one.

“Do you feel nothing when you kill another living being? Galra or not, they’re not that different from us! Yet you go around waving your fucking sword like it’s second nature! You’re a goddamn killing machine, Keith! You’re just another fucking monster!”

Everyone cringed at the words, and the way Lance’s voice broke as he screamed them into the Red Paladin’s face. But then he’s gone, storming out the door by the time anyone had a chance to react, leaving Keith momentarily stunned. Not even Allura or Coran knew what to do with this. None of them had ever seen Lance so angry, so wild, so… hurt.

_Oh._

Shiro was the first to step forward.

“I’ll go talk to him, I think-”

“No.”

Everyone stared at Keith. He squirmed slightly under the scrutiny.

“I- Um. I’ve got this one. Just… let me try.”

He waits just long enough for Shiro to glance at Allura and then nod his permission. Keith could see it in his eyes - in everyone’s eyes - they didn’t think this was the best idea. Keith wasn’t exactly known for his people skills and handling emotional breakdowns. But he was certain that this time it was something only he could fix. He had never been more determined to at least _try_.

 

\------------------

 

Lance hadn’t been in his room, which was more than unusual. In his current frame of mind, Keith had assumed it would be the only place he would go. It was his ‘safe space’. But maybe he wasn’t there because he truly wanted to be left alone? The castle was huge, if he didn’t want to be found, Keith was not going to have any luck. For a moment, he doesn’t know where else to look, but he might as well tick the main rooms off his search.

The last place Keith had expected to find Lance was the Training Bay.

The taller, lanky boy had his bayard in one hand, firing shot after shot at reappearing targets. Keith walked into the room carefully. He didn’t think Lance would intentionally hurt him, but a stray shot from a gun held by the angry and unstable Paladin could do a lot of damage. He froze as Lance seemed to notice his presence and turned his face towards him. The sound of a breath being sucked in filled the sudden silence, but Keith hadn’t been able to stop the noise.

Lance’s face was red, his eyes puffy, tears still leaking from the corners, gaze slightly unfocused. Keith’s eyes flicked towards the targets. Even barely able to even see, Lance had still managed to get a bullseye shot on every single one for a perfect round score. Saying it was impressive was probably the understatement of Keith’s life. His short life if the look on Lance’s face was anything to go by.

“What the hell do you want, mullet?”

“To help. To talk.”

Lance isn’t an idiot, though often he seemed like one. It’s more that he’s just quick to talk and excitable and overbearingly enthusiastic about life. Usually. There isn’t a hint of that Lance showing right now and Keith knows that if he isn’t completely honest right now, Lance will shut him out.

Lance snorts and mutters.

“Sure. Help. Yeah, right.”

“Lance, I-”

Keith breaks off, not entirely sure what he needs to say. He leans against the wall as Lance points his gun at the targets again.

“Why are you in this room of all places?”

He doesn’t think Lance is going to answer at first, but he’s willing to wait patiently for the moment. The blast of the laser ‘bullets’ becomes a monotonous background noise before Lance finally speaks over it.

“Why not? If I’m stuck here being a mass murderer with delusions of heroism and grandeur, I might as well be fucking good at it. We can’t all be naturals like you.”

There was venom dripping from his voice, but Keith heard something else behind it. An emotion made even clearer when Lance swore loudly and rubbed at his eyes with his free hand. There was definitely sadness but also… fear? Of Keith? His gaze dropped to stare at the ground.

“I’m not a monster, Lance.” He all but whispered.

The repetitive gunfire ceased.

“I know.”

Keith’s head shot back up again. Lance was just standing there now, in the middle of the training room, head bowed, his rifle fading back to its bayard form.

“Then why…?” He trailed off.

“Because I'm envious, moron.” Lance’s voice was clipped and shaking with various emotions. Keith wisely kept his mouth shut.

“Because I can't keep up. You're just _better_ and I hate it. You're a better pilot, a better fighter. You're smarter and cooler and just… Everything I'm not!”

Lance was getting more worked up the longer he ranted but Keith was too taken aback to do anything. He felt like such an idiot.

“And trust me, I know my stupid talk of rivalry is all one sided and you're so far ahead you don't even fuckin’ see me. But you're even a better _killer_. Not that that's anything to be jealous about, but shit, I thought even you would crack. I'm such a dead weight to this goddamn team…”

Keith fumed. Fumed at himself, at the other Paladins, at the Alteans, at their whole situation. Angry at anything that had made Lance feels so worthless. He couldn't find the right words to say and he was floundering. He needed to react somehow instead of staring at Lance gaping like a fish. On instinct, he pushed himself off the wall, strode over to Lance, and punched him in the gut. It wasn't hard, just enough to make the Blue Paladin bend forward with a gasp, a look of complete surprise on his face. But this was what they knew, this was how the two interacted; it was normalising and seemed to bring Lance back to the present.

Not that Keith gave him a moment to recover, getting in Lance’s face.

“Don't you fucking dare!” He was desperate, gripping onto Lance’s shoulders. He needed to make Lance see.

“Don't you dare sell yourself short, Lance! Do you seriously not see all the ways you outclass me? Look at those targets! There's no way I could shoot like that. You're optimistic and caring and make friends so much easier than I ever could.”

There were so many things he could write an essay. Lance’s self confidence, his drive to succeed, how fast he was at learning new things. He was a talented pilot just through pure determination and one of the most adaptable people he knew. Keith made a noise of frustration.

“I didn't write off the rivalry. I enjoyed it! I know I'm shit at this friend or team thing. But you've been pushing me and pushing me to improve, to keep up with you. We're supposed to be pulling each other up, not dragging each other down. Fuck, Lance, I _need_ you.”

Keith hadn't quite realised the truth of his words until they were tumbling out of him, but he couldn't stop now.

“We're a good team, remember? We balance out and fill in the gaps. Please-” His voice finally wavered. “Please don't give up on me. I can't do this by myself.”

Keith scrunched his eyes closed, breathing hard. He felt drained. He didn't even open his eyes when he heard Lance choke out a sob and felt him fall into Keith’s chest, hands fisting in his shirt and tears soaking through. He simply let his legs buckle, leaning into the crying boy as they slid down the kneel on the floor.

They sat like that for a few moments, Keith vaguely aware of other figures in the entrance to the bay. The others must have showed up earlier to make sure nothing went too wrong. He vaguely wondered how much they had heard, but his focus was drawn back to Lance when he felt him shift, pulling back from Keith.

“Hey, Keith-?” A hiccup cut him off.

“Yeah?”

“How do you do it? How can you be so strong and not _feel_?”

Keith wanted to answer that he wasn't strong. Lance was strong for holding himself together for so long. Pidge was strong for letting nothing get in her way. Hunk was strong, Shiro was strong, Allura and Coran were incredibly strong. He didn't feel strong at all. He felt numb more often than not, and he wasn't sure that was a good thing.

Instead of saying this though, he took a second to consider the question.

“I need to be.” He said slowly, then nodded, more sure of his answer. “Because if I don't do what needs to be done then I could lose everything.”

Keith wasn't strong. He was so, so weak.

“Before Voltron I had no one, nowhere, nothing. No one I would call family, except for Shiro, and then he disappeared as well. And now… Now I have you guys. And I have to protect you.”

He let out a humourless bark of laughter.

“It's selfish. I don't fight for Earth or the Universe or Altea or freedom or whatever. I fight to keep the people I care for safe so I'm not all alone again. I'm probably mentally fucked up, but I'm happy here with our team and I don't want to lose you to Zarkon.”

There it was. His entire reason for being, out in the open. Something so sappy and self centred and ridiculous. But it was the entire truth. And as he watched Lance’s face for a reaction, something changed. His face softened, the tears dried up, and a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

Lance understood.

He didn't need to be a justice driven knight in shining armour. He didn't need to try to ignore what they were doing, try to justify it, or take the moral high ground. He just needed a reason to fight.

Family.

The biggest driving factor in nearly every other aspect of Lance’s life. His family back on Earth and his new family here with Voltron. Both of them. He would protect them. Let Allura take the road of morals and shoulder that burden, Lance was simply a soldier. And he was okay with that. That was all he needed to be to defend those he loved.

Keith followed Lance’s gaze as it turned to the other Paladins in the doorway, their eyes shining bright with a newfound fire, grins wry but fierce. They all had their reasons for being here and those reasons would keep them fighting until their last breath, no matter what means they had to employ.

Defenders of the Universe?

Bullshit. They weren't that noble.

They were kids, removing a threat to their home. And for them, that was enough.

 

\----------------------

 

The team dynamic changed. It was a little slow at first, and unnoticed by most of them. It was seen though, especially from those looking in. Coran watched it happen with a mixed air of joy and regret. These Paladins had joined them less than a year ago and yet, despite their ages, they were no longer children. They were much too good at killing to be.

Innocence was the first casualty of war.

It's not that the laughter stopped, but now it was slightly twisted. A brutal joy could be heard as they turned slaughtering Galra soldiers into a game; a competition.

The gentle care and love had not disappeared, but it was now reserved exclusively for few members of their family. They would greet each other with hugs and affection, but outsiders were simply met with distrust and even aggression.

Their loyalty was to Voltron and each other only. Each trusted their teammates with their lives and would die for each other. Though dying was the last thing they wanted to do.

Coran sighed as he watched Hunk trying to carry Pidge, Lance and Keith all at once, the four of them laughing loudly. They all fell with screaming and giggles as Shiro snuck up on them and tackled them over. It was nice to see him trying to keep them as sane as possible while they did what was needed. He was a good leader to them.

They had the soldiers they needed, but the cost was high. He only hoped they could win this quickly and they would have a chance to return to some semblance of normality.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance realises his feelings for Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is quite long! Sorry if I'm late updating, I got a bit stuck on the story and then busy with school. I'm pretty bad at keeping an update schedule but I'll try to do it as often as possible!

Lance wasn't stupid, despite what he had been called most of his life. He had trouble focusing at times and got too excited about odd things, but he definitely wasn't stupid. He was fortunate enough that by this point, his team recognised it. Shiro had even asked his opinion on strategy a number of times. Not that he was letting that go to his head, not at all.

The point was, he wasn't dumb but he had just suddenly realised just how much of an oblivious idiot he could be. It had hit him suddenly, out of the blue, like someone had just waved a huge sign in front of him. Or whacked him in the face with it. It was kind of feeling more like the latter right now.

Oddly enough, his moment of clarity hadn't freaked him out as much as it maybe should have. In fact, it kind of made sense after everything up until now.

He huffed as he twirled a spanner-like device in his hand, then returned to tightening the bolt on his metal leg, while he mulled it over.

He liked Keith.

Okay. That part was pretty clear. Really, the guy was his teammate, his fellow Paladin, his friend. Sure they bickered, but it was friendly teasing and goading. They both knew it was out of affection and these days they could actually usually be caught saying  _ nice _ things to each other or just chilling, laughing about something.

He loved Keith?

Probably. That really wasn't that surprising either. He loved all his teammates. They were his family. They were everything to him and the people he had spent the last 11 or so months with (was it about that? He didn't even know anymore). He would give more than just his right leg to see them all happy again.

The problem was, he was thinking that his attachment to Keith was wasn’t the same as his relationship to the others. Shiro was their leader, and honestly kind of like a dad to the younger Paladins. Hunk was his best friend and like a brother to him; they had grown up together, basically living in each other's houses. Pidge was like his (badass) little sister (he was so proud). Allura was something else entirely. She was their commander. She was royalty, a goddess; to be protected and feared and adored. And Coran was their advisor, counsellor, medic. Like a mum, honestly. Which was weird considering Shiro was their dad… He was getting off topic.

Keith was… Family. But in a completely different way. Lance would seek out Keith before anyone else the second he walked into a room. They were borderline inseparable, always making sure to sit next to each other. His presence brought a comfort Lance couldn't explain. When their backs were pressed together in the middle of battle, Lance could laugh because everything felt  _ right _ . He would never have gotten as far as he had without Keith, and he knew that the opposite was true. Words from many months ago floated back to him.

_ “We balance each other.” _

_ “We're a good team.” _

_ “I need you.” _

That had been the first of a number of times Keith had helped put the pieces back together after Lance had fallen apart. He had seen Lance at his worst and still sworn to never leave his side. In return, he had seen a vulnerable side of Keith that not even Shiro had seen after they had been in the middle of a village decimated by the Galra. There had been children. He could barely think about it, even now it made him gag.

There was no way that Lance could deny that his a Keith's ‘friendship’ wasn't the norm. He hadn't really considered it before now. It hadn't ranked in importance; it was just how things were, who was he to question it? But it he didn't share the same bond with anyone else, not even  _ Hunk _ .

Plus, you know, he would totally bang Keith given half the chance.

_ Oh _ .

Well, there it was. Lance had been waiting for that particular revelation.

Keith was definitely up there in Lance’s list of most attractive people, somehow ranking above both Shiro  _ and  _ Allura. When did that happen? It wasn't just his drool-worthy lean abs or sharp cheekbones or amazing ass or… Any other physical trait, really. It was the way he he laughed, in the way he lit up when he was truly happy, the way his eyes burned when he got passionate. It was in the way he treated Pidge as an equal while also watching out for her. He had embraced her, Hunk and Lance into his life faster than Lance had ever thought possible. He was dynamic, dangerous, unpredictable, and stubborn. But he was also reserved and kind and exceptionally talented.

And Lance really, really wanted a piece of that.

He groaned. This was a lot to process in such a short amount of time but he needed to sort it out sooner rather than later. The risk to their teamwork was too high to be ignored and that was always the number one priority. Self maintenance of his prosthetic over, he rose and stretched his arms up until he felt his back crack. Well, no point being even more of an idiot. He might as well ask for advice.

 

\---------

 

Lance found Shiro exactly where he expected him to be; in the room he had dubbed the War Room. It was where they poured over maps and information to plan their next move and it was where the Black Paladin spent most of their time.

“Yo, daddio!” Lance called out as he entered the room, jumping up to sit on the table.

Shiro looked up in slight surprise having been too absorbed in his thoughts to notice anyone’s approach. It quickly turned to a warm smile.

“Ah, Lance! Glad you’re here actually, do you mind if I bounce a few ideas off you?”

“Normally, totally down. Unfortunately, oh fearless leader o’ mine, I have a problem that I kind of urgently need advice for.”

Shiro’s eyebrows drew together in concern and he stood up straighter to give Lance his full attention.

“Of course. What’s up?”

“So, I think I actually like Keith…” Lance couldn’t look Shiro directly, instead glancing at him through the corner of his eye. His agitation was clear as day, fiddling with a pen he had grabbed from the desk and legs swinging erratically.

“Well, that’s a given, right? You didn’t think you still hated him, did you?” Shiro was clearly confused. “You’re clearly very good friends…”

Lance groaned, realising he would have to spell it out a little clearer. Had Shiro actually never been a teenager, even when he was one? He had probably been super mature and focused his entire life. He was probably born an adult.

“No, I mean… Um, maybe a fair bit more than that? Like… in a possibly romantic kind of way?”

It took only a moment longer before Shiro’s eyebrows shot up in understanding.

“Oh!  _ Oh _ .”

“Yeah. Oh. That one.”

“Well, well, well....”

Lance hadn’t really expected Shiro to chuckle, but that’s exactly what he did.

“Don’t laugh at me, Shiro. I’m at a total loss here. What the hell do I do about it?”

“What do you want to do about it?”

Lance stared for a moment as he considered. In all honesty, he had expected a worse reaction - a ‘that’s bad for the team dynamic, Lance’ style talk. It was not what he was getting and it was throwing him off.

“In a perfect world? Pursue it. Test out the waters, see how it plays out.  _ Actual  _ flirting instead of my usual shit.”

Shiro shrugged.

“Then do that.”

“But-” Lance spluttered. “What about the team? What if it ruins our cooperation or something? Can we be a cohesive unit if two of us are involved? And what will Hunk and Pidge think?”

He wasn’t entirely sure why he was panicking so much, he shouldn’t be arguing so hard against himself.

“Lance. I get that you’re freaking out a little bit, but you’re really just trying to come up with excuses for yourself. Stop. You clearly want it, and you’re allowed to chase  _ some  _ happiness from time to time. You worry about everyone else too much”

“Says you.”

“And yet I’m courting Allura. Do something for yourself for once. I honestly doubt the team interactions would change that much, you already spent most of your time together. Also, now that I think about it, you’re also very touchy feely with each other anyway.”

Lance let out an exaggerated, scandalised gasp.

“We are not!”

“Don’t even try.”

Physical contact wasn’t foreign to the Paladins by a long shot. Shiro was all about things like shoulder touches. Hunk was convinced that everyone needed hugging, all the time (not that any of them complained) and Pidge either demanded goodnight kisses on her forehead, or used anyone close as her pillow. Lance was an affectionate person too; he thrived off it. Keith very rarely initiated contact, but he never once turned it down, starved of it for far too long before he had joined Voltron. And Lance liked to touch Keith. A lot. Though he would probably prefer more skin to be involved...

“So,” Shiro interrupted Lance’s distracted thoughts once more. “What are you going to do?”

Lance hummed, the spinning pen in his hand finally coming to a stop as he jumped off the table.

“I’m gonna hit on Keith. Thanks, Dad! See ‘ya ‘round!”

He sent a wink and finger guns in Shiro’s direction who just grinned back at him.

“I’d wish you good luck, but I don’t think you’ll actually need it. I’ve known Keith for long enough to have a pretty good idea to how it’ll go.”

Lance shot off, whistling.

He had just essentially been told that his terrible idea wasn’t so terrible and he was feeling pretty good about it. Not that he was going to just randomly approach Keith out of nowhere with a confession, but he could easily amp up his charm.

This was going to be fun.

 

\------------------------------------

 

It was hard to describe exactly how the relationship between Lance and Keith changed. In a normal Earth environment, in which they didn't spend nearly every waking second together, it might have even been considered slow moving. Certainly it didn't happen all at once. A few more obvious leans and touches from Lance, turned into shy hand holding (initiated by Keith, surprising everyone). Arms slung around waists and gentle affection. It was all  _ tame _ . It seemed in complete odds to the intense personalities that the two had normally.

On the other hand, in terms of actual time frame, the relationship moved very fast.

It was less than a full week later that Lance found himself pinned up against the inside of Keith’s bedroom door, mouths desperate, hungrily, moving against the other’s. He wasn’t entirely sure how they had ended up here, but he was also pretty sure he couldn’t be blamed for his brain not quite functioning at that moment. Not five minutes earlier they had been in the hallway, Lance confessing that he was interested in ‘more than friendship’ with Keith, who had looked oddly stunned, like he had suddenly had his own revelation (Lance suspected the Red Paladin hadn’t actually examined his own feelings before then). Then Keith had acted according to his usual spontaneous nature and kissed an internally cheering Lance.

Now they were here.

“Keith.” Lance breathed the word like it was the only one he knew. “Keith, Keith, Keith. We should- oh  _ god _ \- we should slow down.”

It nearly physically hurt to suggest such a thing. They were both hormone-filled, teenage boys that had been stuck in space for months. Unfortunately, that was exactly why they needed to be careful.

There was one more, deep, lingering kiss for good measure before Keith finally pulled back.

“Sorry. Um, I got a bit… carried away.” Keith looked sheepish, loosening his grip on Lance’s jacket.

Lance was breathing heavily.

“And holy shit, trust me, I’m not exactly complaining. I’m just…” He trailed off, not entirely sure how to voice his concerns as Keith looked at him questioningly. He took a deep breath.

“I’m just a little nervous, is all. We’re kind of stuck on this ship together and I know it’s kind of stupid but I’m worried…” He couldn’t even finish the sentence. It was insulting to them both, but he couldn’t help the thought. Fortunately, Keith understood.

“You’re worried that I’m just settling for what’s available. That whatever this is, is just convenient and brought about by a need to get laid?”

Lance visibly flinched. Beneath his flirting and extraverted nature, he was insecure. Sure, he had dated in the past and all that, but some of them had not gone well. He was still recovering from the last guy that used him until Lance had finally broken away. And now Keith was going to be mad at his implication.

So it caught him off guard when Keith instead leant his head against Lance’s chest.

“You’re an idiot, Lance. You’re loud and obnoxious and irritating at times.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Shut up. You’re also one most caring people I’ve ever met. You’re strategic and a hell of a shot and are always looking out for your team’s well-being. And despite my better judgement, your stupid jokes and bad pick up lines make me laugh.”

When Keith looked back up at him, Lance was drawn to the way a fire burnt in his eyes, and decided that no matter what happened, he would gladly die in those fires.

“I’ve told you before all the reasons you’re amazing. You’re my other half, Lance. You balance me out like no-one else ever could. I want to be with you, because it’s  _ you _ . And because of that I will take it as slow or as fast as you want.”

_ We’re a good team. _

_ I need you. _

There was no way that Lance could fight the grin that grew on his face, or the giggle that bubbled out, at Keith’s words. He could, however, turn it into an amused smirk.

“You know, you’re surprisingly eloquent and sappy when you actually do talk. You should speak more often.”

He got a snort in response.

“Shut it, moron. Come here. You’re sleeping in my bed tonight.”

“So demanding,” Lance quipped, but allowed himself to be led over to Keith’s bed and crawl under the sheets after him.

“You know, if I tried to tell anyone how insecure you actually are, no-one would ever believe me.”

“Go to sleep, mullet man.”

“I hate you.”

Lance hummed as, contrary to his words, Keith threw an arm around his waist, pulling him close and snuggling into him. His own arms found a comfortable position over Keith, and he pressed a kiss to black hair as his eyes closed.

“I know, babe.”

They both drifted off to sleep, embraced by the one person that made them feel safe in their chaotic lives.


	3. III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so very sorry that this is so late!! I got caught up in a few real life things and couldn't get my motivation working for a while... But it seems to be better now!
> 
> Also, this chapter is a lot of world/character/story building rather than actual, like, stuff? But it's interesting anyway!! Feel free to ask questions about the world and characters and things!!

“Alright, Pidge. Comfortable?”

Hunk was trying to be his usual optimistic self, but Pidge could hear the worry in his voice.

“I’m fine, Hunk. I just want to get this over and done with so I can go back to fixing up that program.”

She would have turned to look at him if she could have moved her head. As it was, she was strapped down to the operating table in the Medical Bay to the point where she couldn’t move an inch. This was necessary for what was about to happen, but she would have preferred to be anywhere else right now. Pidge let her mind wander slightly as she heard the clatter of Hunk closing a draw. To an outsider, the Med Bay may have been nearly mistaken for a different room. But all the tools and pieces that looked they belonged more in a mechanic shop were somewhat necessary when the large majority of the crew had fake parts.

It was, in fact, the very reason Pidge was here at all.

“Alright,” the sound of a chair came from next to her and suddenly Hunk appeared once more in her field of vision. “Are you sure you don’t want one of the others in here? Lance or Shiro? Or even Allura? They could hold your hand or…”

He trailed off.

“Hunk. Please.”

“You know it’s going to hurt.”

“I am fully aware and the last time Lance was in here I think he felt sympathetic pain for  _ days _ . It’s fine. It has to be done. Hurry up. My code will finish compiling before you do at this rate.”

Pidge’s words came out a bit sharper than she had meant them too, but Hunk didn’t take offence. He noticed the way she flinched as the device he was holding came into her view. It looked like it could pass for a futuristic screwdriver, but it had a significantly different function.

“Oh yeah, I was gonna ask about that! Which program is it for again? What are you changing?”

The Green Paladin was grateful for the distraction and began babbling away about her current project. Hunk made the appropriate responses and asked more questions, but he was focusing on lining the device - dubbed the Zapper - with Pidge’s eye, which closely followed its movements.

Bionic prosthetics came in all shapes and sizes; they were all well aware of this by now. Shiro’s arm was definitely the highest model, but others weren’t too bad either. Lance’s leg, for one, was pretty highly advanced, and once he had gotten over the shock of not having a real leg, he had embraced it wholeheartedly. Hunk didn’t exactly have prosthetics in the same way, but the majority of his spine and ribcage were now constructed from a super-strong material after he’d been crushed in an accident. Pidge’s fake eye (including a significant area around it) and left hand were the most recent additions to the team, and so required more maintenance. Keith was the only Paladin missing imbedded technology but… Well, his alterations were a whole different ballpark.

The point was, the bionics were significantly different from those that existed on Earth. In some ways, significantly better, but in others… so much worse. The main feature was that they were much more linked to the receiver’s own nervous system. This led to unparalleled control, super advanced features, and even a level of  _ feeling _ in said limb. The problem was that the nerves didn’t grow and attach by themselves. That’s what the Zapper helped to do. It was in no way a painless process.

Pidge couldn’t help the scream that ripped from her throat, nor the arch of her back, as the device hit her bionic eyeball. Her mind simply blanked from the pain, cutting off her sentence about a faster programming language midway. Hunk tried to block it out so he could concentrate on his job, but it was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do. This wasn’t even the first time. Somewhere in the castle, Lance would be burying his face in Keith’s chest, wincing at the memory of his own pain and fighting with the knowledge that it was ten times worse for the girl they all considered a little sister. Shiro would have paused in his training, and Allura would be trying to assure him that it wasn’t his fault; a freak accident had done this. Coran would be setting his jaw and continuing on, aware of the necessity of what was being done.

And Hunk; he was here, using his free hand to squeeze Pidge’s real one, waiting for the Zapper to do it’s job, reminding himself that they had to repeat this process in another month. Finally, it was over and he allowed Pidge a moment to recover, taking in deep, ragged breaths.

“How’re you doing?”

“Fine,” Breath. “Fine, yeah… Just, ouch.”

He chuckled.

“Yeah, ouch. Ready for your hand?”

“Yeah, after that, it’ll feel like nothing.”

The same process on her hand was over quickly. Pidge was right in her prediction; her response this time was simply gritted teeth and hissing. And then it was over, and Hunk was releasing the catches on the bindings and passing Pidge water and painkillers.

“So, how’s it feeling? Are you still fiddling with it’s programming? Is it moving smoothly? Tell me if it needs anything. Hm, the fingers are looking okay too. Are the connectors retracting properly after last time?”

Now that the horror of nerve maintenance was over, Hunk was all too keen to pester Pidge about her ‘equipment’. A topic she also never got tired of discussing.

Truthfully, all the prosthetics, as with much of the technology on the ship, were joint projects shared between Pidge’s programming skills and Hunk’s mechanical abilities. They truly enjoyed the experience of learning about them and upgrading them. Plus, Pidge was the first to admit that it was kind of fun to live out science fiction fantasies of being cyborgs. They weren't quite  _ that _ jaded with life, yet.

“Oh!” Hunk jumped suddenly during a break in Pidge’s rambling. “I actually had an idea about Lance’s leg and faster access to his hidden knife.”

“Cool! We'll have to corner him though. He doesn't trust me right now ‘cause I made a joke about making it remote controlled.” Pidge giggled. “Plus, you'll have to tear the lovebirds apart.”

“Excuse you. I'll have you know that  _ Keith _ is the clingy one.”

Pidge snorted with laughter, turning around to grin at Lance as he entered the room. On her other side, Hunk’s face lit up.

“Speak of him, and he shall appear.”

“Oi, I am not a demon!”

“I beg to differ.”

“Says the gremlin.”

Pidge gave an exaggerated cackle in response, then sobered a tad to cock her head curiously at Lance.

“How come you're here anyway? I thought for sure you would be sucking Keith’s face off in a corner somewhere?”

Lance’s face took on an offended expression.

“Hey, give us some slack! We're horny teenage boys who only started dating a few months ago.” He turned serious suddenly. “Besides, can't I wanna hang with my original team? I wanted to see how you were doin’ after the zapper.”

Hunk watched affectionately as Pidge confirmed her wellbeing and held out her arms for Lance to hug her; a task he enthusiastically accepted without hesitation.

“You guys know I love you too, right? Like, seriously.”

While Pidge affirmed and then motioned for him to join her on the table so she could look at his leg, Hunk sat back to watch them with affection and concern.

They had all had far too many brushes with death, and it had affected them all differently. For Lance, he had become insistent that everyone knew how he felt about them, showering his friends with attention. Even after he and Keith had begun dating, they hadn't cut themselves off from the others, instead wearing their relationship in the open. This had resulted in public displays of affection between the two becoming a matter of course, and often beyond what most people would consider ‘appropriate’. It wasn't unusual to come across them in a hallway, engaged in borderline sexual behaviour. Fortunately, they were equally likely to stop what they were doing in favour of interacting with whomever walked past. They had all gotten used to it, anyway. No one in the Castle of Lions blinked twice at sight.

Hunk was infinitely happy for Lance and Keith, of course. He knew how much they needed each other - the support and love between them kept them whole. But he was also a little bit selfish, and was glad that it didn't stop them from being his friends. Even if they were all stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, fighting a war that had been going on for far too long, at least he had his friends with him. Well, now they counted as family more than friends, even forming close bonds with Allura and Coran.

Hunk refocused on his friends’ discussion, laughing as he assisted Lance in turning down some of Pidge’s more adventurous modification ideas. However, they fell silent as the Castle-wide communication system crackled into life.

“Paladins,” Allura’s voice called to them through the speakers. “Please make your way to the Control Bay immediately. I have a very important announcement to make.”

The three friends glanced at each other for a moment. Lance jumped down from the table, quickly followed by Pidge.

“Good thing we were finished with what we were doing. Better go see what's up.”

Hunk pushed himself up, sighing at the interruption of their brief downtime. Guess it was time to get back to work.

 

\------------------------------

 

“Mush, Lance! Faster! My drone can move faster than you!”

“I will drop you, Pidgey.” Lance quipped back, but he was laughing as he bounced into the Control Room, the Green Paladin on his back. Hunk trailed behind them.

“Alright, last stop. Everybody disembark. Get off.”

Pidge dropped to the ground as they spotted Allura and Coran waiting for them. Shiro and Keith were already there, having come from the Training Bay. The three new arrivals wandered over to join them. Lance’s arms quickly snaked around Keith’s waist, but of course, no affection happened between them without insult.

“Gross, Keith. You smell.”

“I came here straight from training! You can let go if you don't like it, arsehole.”

“Not a chance. You know, if you really wanted to get hot and sweaty I could-”

“Ahem.” Allura cleared her throat, cutting him off mid sentence. Pidge snickered and Shiro rolled his eyes, but then they all turned their attention to the Princess.

“Paladins. I have some news that concerns you all and I consider it of the utmost importance. However, there is both good and bad parts to this, which you will need to keep in mind.” She paused, looking at them all in turn. Behind her, Coran looked like he was vibrating slightly with excitement.

“Leaders from Earth have managed to contact us. In no more than 36 hours we will be in Earth’s orbit and, all things going well, we shall land shortly after that. You get to go home.”

Keith felt his boyfriend’s arms tighten around him and twisted his head slightly to catch his eye. Lance wasn't looking at him though, he was staring wide-eyed at Allura, mouth hanging open in shock. Keith could sense some of the emotions running through him; hope, confusion, doubt, joy… Similar emotions were bouncing over from Pidge and Hunk. Shiro’s mental walls were up, but the surprise was plain on his face.

Keith wasn't sure what he felt. It was nice to be returning, he supposed. Earth was still where he was from, even if there wasn't really anything back there for him. He could grab some things from his shack that he hadn't had a chance to before. Lance could see his family…

Fear. The chill of it shot through his veins. What if Lance didn't want to return to Voltron? What if, faced with the option of his life back, he left? Lance could get away from Keith’s difficult personality on Earth. He wouldn't want Keith around. He'd want a break. At least.

Keith desperately tried to shut down the thoughts before Lance heard them. He rarely complained about how blurry the line between their minds were. All the Paladins were linked on some level due to mind melding that piloting Voltron involved. But a side effect of a desperate battle and an accident meant that the bond between Keith and Lance went much deeper. And right now, Lance didn't need to feel his terror over situations that weren't going to happen.

It wasn't working. He couldn't shut them down. He was struggling to breathe.

“Ssh, ssh. It's okay, babe.” Warm breath brushed over Keith’s torn ear as Lance pressed a soft kiss just under it. “I'm not leaving you. I promised. You're okay. I'm here.”

The soothing voice and calming brain waves wrapped around Keith and he felt himself relax. Everything was going to be fine. They would stay together. He sagged backwards into Lance as his breathing finally levelled out. He could feel the concern and gazes from everyone else, making him want to hang his head in embarrassment. His panic had flooded their thoughts as he'd spiralled out of control. Fortunately, they understood.

Lance and Keith had only been properly separated once since their minds became intertwined. It hadn't been voluntary either. A stupid mistake, an ambush, a failed retreat… Keith captured… Imprisoned… Experimented on… He shuddered at the memory. It had been agony. Lance and he had both felt like parts of their souls had been torn from them. It had pushed their joint sanity to the edge before they had finally been reunited. They hadn't left Keith’s room for nearly a week after that, mostly simply holding one another in reassurance that they could. The mental and emotional scars from that experience would never leave them. And for Keith, his physical appearance was also now permanently altered.

Finally calm again, Keith returned his focus to the present just in time for Pidge to speak up.

“You said it was mixed news, Princess. What's the catch?”

Allura hesitated just long enough to confirm that Keith was alright before answering.

“Yes, thank you Pidge. It's not exactly a holiday, though I am hoping there will be time for you to visit your families. Put simply, the Earth leaders contacted us because they are not equipped to repel a Galra invasion.

An attack isn't precisely imminent, but warships have been spotted in the area. It's somewhere they haven't touched before, so it's likely they think we won't be paying attention to that area and Zarkon can expand his empire behind out backs. We're not going to let that happen. We're hoping we can hit them before they act.”

Silence greeted her words. The Paladins were still processing this information. Earth was under threat but at the same time, they never thought they would be back there. None of them were entirely sure it was worth the price.

“Well,” it was Lance, as usual, who finally broke through their joint introspection. “I'm excited, for one. Those fuckers at the Garrison will finally know we're kicking arse in space without them.” He nuzzled into Keith’s neck, drawing a small smile from him.

“And  _ you _ are totally meeting my family. No arguments.”

A small whisper of unease tickled at the back of his mind, distracting him from Pidge’s cheering and Lance’s chattering. He met Hunk’s eyes, an unspoken conversation flicking between them.

“There's something else, isn't there?” Hunk turned his attention back to the Alteans. “You're not telling us everything.”

Keith agreed. He could see it in Allura’s smile that held a hint of nervousness, and the way Coran shuffled behind her. It was he who cleared his throat and stepped forward to explain.

“Well, yes. There's one more small hiccup. It's actually kind of interesting. You see, it's to do with complex physics and relativity and-”

“Coran.” Despite his kind and gentle nature, Hunk was also well known amongst their team for not taking any of their shit. You did not push Hunk around nor distract him from important matters. He was a stone that could not be moved or broken.

“Oh, right, yes. Ahem. Basically there's a bit of a time difference created. And I don't mean just a few Earth hours or whatnot. It's, ah… You lot have been Paladins for nearly one and a half Earth years now, but Earth has gone through about six.”

There wasn't even silence this time. Chaos broke out. Shiro was the only one who still hadn't said a word, but even Keith was yelling, trying to understand. What did they mean? Six years had passed on Earth while they had been fucking around in space? What had happened to everyone? Was anything going to be the same? What about the other’s families?

“Team! Enough!”

Everyone froze, Shiro’s voice cutting through their noise.

“You're were all high performing students at the Garrison. You did astrophysics. If you stopped to think about it, you shouldn't be that surprised.

Yes, the time difference sucks. You've been missing for longer than you realised. Yes, your families probably miss you and assume you're dead. So imagine the relief they're going to feel at seeing you. It'll outweigh any confusion, I promise you.”

He was right. They all knew it. But Shiro didn't let them dwell for long, immediately showing the leadership that inspired their loyalty.

“Pidge. Work with Coran to see if you can get some sort of link to Earth Internet. I want as much information on the situation and politics as possible. Our arrival will nearly definitely be a public event. Correct, Allura?”

“Correct. It has to be. They can't hide our ship.”

“Hunk. Make sure maintenance is as up to date as possible. Lions and limbs alike. I also want external communicators for everyone. Keith, help him out. I want all weapons functional.

Lance, you're with me in the Strategy Room. As usual, I want you as my Second when we're on planet. You and I will also be assisting Allura with the political details.

Any objections?”

Variations of “no, sir” (including Lance’s “none, daddy”) sounded and casual salutes were thrown. As everyone split off to do their required work, Keith glanced back to their leaders. Shiro had paused to talk to the Alteans briefly. A look of tired relief washed over Allura as he spoke.

She tried so hard to be the Princess she thought everyone expected her to be; to be strong and commanding, giving the team an unwavering anchor. They all saw through it, of course. She struggled as much as any of them. When prompted, was just as playful and mischievous as them as well. Pidge had learnt that she was young for an Altean, having barely entered adulthood before her world was ripped apart.

Despite sometimes getting frustrated by how she pushed them - how she sometimes accidentally treated them simply as weapons - they knew the reasons why. And so they became tied to her; feeling elated when she praised them, sad when she was down, or angry on her behalf.

Allura was  _ their _ princess, with every flaw and strength she came with. They were her knights and they were defend her, and her cause, with everything they had.

With renewed determination, Keith ran to catch up with Hunk. This was going to be a whole different kind of fight but, as always, they would come out on top.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks heaps for the support and love so far guys!
> 
> Also, if anyone wants to point out formatting improvements and things I would be very grateful <3


	4. IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pidge's POV as the paladins learn about what Earth thinks happened to them

_ “Hey, Pidge. What're you up to?” _

_ “Yo, Keith. Just examining some new junk. What's up?” _

_ “Can you help me with something real quick?” _

_ “What's in it for me?” _

_ “Blood sample.” _

_ “Done! You know how to woo a girl, Keith. So, what can I do for you?” _

_ “I need help finding Lance. He's hiding from me.” _

_ “And you can't just find him via your mental link? You two are gonna have to let me run some experiments on that at some point…” _

_ “No, he's blocked me out completely. We kind of had an argument.” _

_ “What do you guys even fight about? It's something trivial, isn't it?” _

_ “Yeah. A stupid tiny detail. Nothing you need to know about.” _

_ “He says, like I don't know it's about your sex life.” _

_ “Pidge! Fuck. You're like our baby sister; I refuse to discuss it with you.” _

_ “Was it about who gets to top?” _

_ “Stop. Please. This is all kinds of weird.” _

_ “You are aware that all the Paladins are mentally linked, right? Not just you and Lance? We know when you're going at it. Fortunately, it's easy enough to throw up a wall temporarily.” _

_ “...I am so sorry.” _

_ “For what? Keith, we put our lives on the line every other day, I've killed and been drenched in the blood of both Galra and innocents. We share a psychic connection that means we basically can't hide our emotions from each other. I'm pretty sure knowing that you two get it on is not what destroyed the last remnants of my childhood. Get over it.” _

_ “Yeah, okay. Fair enough. It still wasn't about that, though. It was about food. Don't even ask. It's still stupid and is near impossible to explain. It'll be over as soon as I find him.” _

_ “Mm. Yeah, I'm looking. You guys don't actually have proper fights, do you? I mean, I'm not the most knowledgeable about healthy relationships but that's a good thing, right?” _

_ “It is, Pidge. Honestly, it's hard to be properly mad at someone when you can hear their thoughts. It means we can't lie to each other or miscommunicate, and even if we don't necessarily agree with that the other is doing, we understand why instantly. It's… Complicated but also really simple at the same time? There's no point to fighting. We're too involved in each other’s thought process.” _

_ “That… Actually makes a lot of sense. And, would you look at that. I've found the shithead. Just walked into the training room.” _

_ “Thanks, Pidge. You're amazing.” _

_ “I'm aware. I'll be demanding that sample soon enough. Go, piss off. Leave me be. I want to finish this project.” _

_ She watched as Keith strode out the door to her workshop, her gaze relaxing into a fond expression. She really adored the boys around her. They were all family. Though she was glad she could block them out of her mind sometimes - it could get a bit overwhelming. _

_ She turned back to the screens just in time to see Keith skid into the training bay and start yelling at Lance. She couldn’t hear what was being said but she giggled at Lance’s childish pout before he finally started yelling back, arms flailing. It was of no surprise when Keith’s patience finally snapped and he pulled Lance into a heated kiss. With a roll of her eyes and a quick tap of buttons, the screen went blank. For good measure, she locked them door on them; no one needed to walk in on that. With one last wave of love mentally pushed in their direction, she walled them off and turned back to her computer program. _

_ Even if she was stuck in space, she couldn’t ask for better company. _

Pidge smiled slightly at the memory as she watched the people she called her Space Family. She had let her mind wander while Coran set up some equipment that was supposed to act as a projector, and one of her programs worked away on her laptop. It was a good memory; one that reminded her of how strong the connections between all of them were and how deeply they now understood each other. They had come a long way.

Off to the side, she can see Hunk and Allura engaged in some conversation, faces relaxed. Shiro is sitting near them, only half listening it seems, more focused on watching Coran and keeping an eye on Lance and Keith. Said, rowdy boys were as loud as they always were, fighting each other on the ground in front of Pidge, each trying to get the upper hand. It wasn't quite serious, more like play-fighting, in the same way lion cubs practice their skills. They were still going to come out with injuries though; they didn’t play gentle. Scratches and bruises were a normal result, but they had gotten especially violent on occasion. Lance had emerged with a broken nose from one session, Keith with a knife in his leg from another. She wondered if Keith was keeping his claws in check today.

Somehow Lance managed to pin Keith’s shoulders down with his knees. He crowed in triumph and Pidge can't help but shake her head and smirk. Lance is  _ good _ but Keith still trumps them all in hand to hand combat so she has a feeling Lance’s win is only because it was allowed. Now all she can see is a tuft or black hair sticking up from between Lance's bare thighs. He's wearing shorts. He's lost this round and he doesn't even know it yet.

“Pidge!” Lance is now whining at her instead. “Are you done yet? I'm bo-”

He cuts off with a yelp and Pidge snickers at him. Keith has nipped at Lance's inside thigh with his elongated canines which means that Lance is now torn between letting him up or dealing with the torture. Pidge ignores both his tone and his current predicament to answer his question.

“Just about. As soon as Coran’s set up, we should be good to go.”

“You haven't even told us what you've found.”

She raises an eyebrow at him for a moment. Lance is doing his best to shut Keith out and focus on her. He's doing a surprisingly good job, even if she can see him squirming.

“I did. You just weren't listening. I've been compiling news and things from Earth and found some information relevant to our disappearance and stuff. I put some of it into a bit of a compilation video because I figured you'd all want to know what was said about you.”

“Oh. Right. Now I remember. Cool. Is there other stuff too?” A quick intake of breath. “Keith! Can you fucking stop that? What is wrong with you?”

“So many things.” Keith's deadpan voice floated up from under Lance.

“Amen.”

“Pidge, you're not helping."

“And I'll stop if you let me the fuck up!”

They fell into bickering again, Lance accidentally letting up enough for Keith to throw him off and resume their earlier fist fight. She caught sight of Coran indicating he was ready and shot him a thumbs up in return. Shiro got the message as well and alerted the others. Pidge just laughed as Hunk came over to physically separate the arguing boys, picking them up under each arm like they were nothing and carrying them to the couches. They didn't complain, instead just going limp in his grip, knowing it was time to settle and leaning into him once they were all sitting.

Pidge stayed where she long enough to hit play and grab a remote control so she can run everyone through the information as they go. It starts up just as she claims her spot on the other side of Keith, who ruffled her hair. The picture is low quality, grainy and a bit lagging, but it doesn't matter. It's something from Earth, from home, and she can feel the heartache strumming through them all. They've missed it. She'll have to talk to Matt soon and see if he can get some form of connection where he is. He probably misses it more than her. She'd think about that later though, right now she needed to focus on the news clips playing in front of her.

“ _ -three cadets missing. _ ” The news lady was saying. “ _ Lance Diaz, Hunk Garrett, and Pidge Gunderson- _ ” Some information about the circumstances were rattled off and it flicked to the next video clip. Pidge glanced at Lance, watching as his eyes went wide and he leaned forward. His mother had come on the screen.

“ _ They need to tell us what happened to our children! My baby has disappeared and they won’t tell us anything! _ ”

There was some more ranting, and the camera zoomed out to reveal Hunk’s mother as well, nodding along to Mrs. Diaz’s words. More questions, more answers, more information about the missing cadets. The camera turned back to Lance’s mother.

“ _ Lance, baby- and Hunk too, and Pidge- please, come home. Please let us know you’re safe, at least. And if you have taken our children, please, for the love of God, please give them back. _ ”

Lance had crawled into Hunk’s lap, who was holding him tightly. Both of them were shaking. Keith was gripping one of Lance’s hands and had it pressed too his lips. They all knew how strong his homesickness was, and this was a painful, if necessary, experience.

The next few clips were more about Pidge. The reports about her had quickly grown to confusion as it came to light that nobody seemed to know who ‘he’ was. And then:

“ _ -breaking news. It has been discovered that the Pidge Gunderson, one of the cadets that went missing three months ago, is actually Katherine ‘Katie’ Holt, daughter of Dr. Samuel Holt and brother of Matthew Holt, who both were lost in the Kerberus Incident along with their pilot Takashi Shirogane- _ ”

That was the only mention of Shiro. His status as ‘missing, presumed dead’ was long since accepted. Nobody except the Garrison knew he had even been back on Earth on the same day they disappeared, and they sure as hell weren’t going to share that bit of information, no matter what else they gave up.

The various news programs played. Some of them separated by mere hours, others by weeks. Mrs. Diaz - Angela - seemed to be at the forefront of any outcry from the public, bringing together the other parents and constantly pressuring for cooperation from the Galaxy Garrison. Pidge had never met her, but she was proud of the strong woman. She was refusing to give up hope. Eventually, something seemed to shift, the news reports that had been dying out returned in force, every stations clattering for new information. A statement had been released by the Garrison. They claimed to have been investigating the matter privately, but were now cooperating with the civilian police force.

The paladins knew it was a lie. They had probably just gotten tired of the bad press. It was amusing watching them try to figure out what had happened, now nearly a year after the fact.

The next clip caused a few intakes of breath. Keith’s desert shack.

“ _ -tracked their movements to this shack in the surrounding desert where personal items were found. Belongings of another former cadet were also found; those of Keith Kogane- _ ” She touched on Keith’s orphan situation, but didn’t stop there. “ _ Keith has a history of antisocial and violent behaviours, including an incident of threats against an instructor at the Galaxy Garrison while he was a cadet. This incident resulted in his expulsion. Police are now discussion the possibility of homicide with Keith as the key suspect- _ ”

Any further accusation was cut off by a furious Lance, shouting both English and Altean obscenities at the screen. Keith simply looked amused as he pulled his boyfriend off Hunk’s lap and into his own, soothing his anger as much as possible. Pidge agreed with Lance though. The morons back on Earth had no idea who Keith was or what had actually happened to him. They had been told the story once. Suffice to say that the instructor had deserved the rough-up and should have been the one booted.

The news clips started to reflect the passing of months on Earth with no further progress in determining their whereabouts. People lost interest. Their families lost hope. They were officially declared ‘missing, presumed dead’. A service is held and televised because their story is a public interest now. Pidge cringed, reminded of the one for Matt and Dad. Remembers how angry and upset she was. Her own mother is in the shot and Pidge knows she feels the same way that her daughter did all that time ago. She probably believes Pidge now; that the Garrison was hiding something.

The information pertaining to the missing cadets peters out; they're forgotten by the world. There's mostly pictures of unrelated things now and Pidge jumps up to talk them through the information. It's simple summaries of world events and technological advances on Earth. She's trying to squeeze six years into a short report. It's hard, but she manages. The videos behind her flare to life once again, but this time they're about the Paladins of Voltron; the announcement of their existence and their plans to visit Earth. Of course, it's a big deal - proper alien contact. Won't they be disappointed when most of them are human. Pidge looks forward to watching their expressions falter.

Eventually, she runs out of information. Or really, doesn't want to continue. It's okay, she's covered all the important stuff so everyone lets her step down. Hunk hands out the communication devices he built and Pidge programmed. They're essentially phones, but very high tech and more features than you'd expect. They're also only linked to each other and heavily encrypted. Safety first. Shiro rises to give a rundown of the plan.

They will land and have initial talks with whatever dignitaries or ambassadors the world puts forward. Two or three days, nothing more. Then Allura and Shiro will stay and they can go home (Keith will accompany Lance, obviously). The earlier they go, the more time they'll probably have. It feels weird knowing they'll get to see their families, especially with the knowledge of the time gap. Pidge misses her mum, but at least she's regularly in contact with Matt these days. No one else has that.

Pidge feels a niggling in the back of her mind. It's Lance, sending vague emotions of concern and comfort down their metaphorical phone line. He's checking that she's okay. Silly Lance, always watching out for the rest of them, far too selfless for his own good. She sent back warm reassurance and he backed off, his lips twitching into a tiny smile. He was probably the most worried, she thought. Not only was he returning to a large family he had missed since the start, he was taking Keith with him. His boyfriend, partner, lover, other half. No wonder he was on edge.

Shiro finally sends them off. They've got about 12 hours to have a rest, gather what they need, and prepare themselves. Pidge isn't sure anyone will get much rest, but that's okay, they're used to that. Still, she can feel the unease thrumming through them all. She had to be strong. For them, for her mother, for Matt, for her dad's memory, for Voltron…

But they were all there to support each other through this.

She could do it. They could all do it. They had been through so much worse.

And as long as they had each other, they could do anything.

Right?


	5. V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance reflects on his and Keith's bond just hours before touchdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit I'm alive..... i'm so so sorry! I've been.... struggling. with a lot. so, writing has been pretty hard. sexual mention in this chapter towards the end, but nothing in detail.  
> Anyway, I suppose this is basically the end of the intro stuff? (it has dragged out for so long that it doesn't feel like it) cuz next chapter they hit Earth and the drama starts lmao
> 
> again, legendarydragondefender on tumblr! i post somewhat regularly about the status of fics on there. thank you everyone for your patience!!

Lance sighs around the screwdriver in his mouth as he snaps a gleaming panel back into place on his leg. It’s still weird, and cold where it meets his real skin. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to missing a limb, but at least it kind of looks badass. He takes the tool out of his mouth and spins in absently in his hand with a sense of déja vu. It’s an odd mimicry of the day he realised he wanted to get to know Keith as more than friends. That was a good day, he thinks, so maybe this is a good omen. Or maybe not.

It’s definitely different from back then, he can’t deny that. It’s been maybe six months, give or take. He’s not entirely sure, time is so hard to track out in space. They barely even keep track of when it’s ‘day’ and ‘night’, simply trying to keep to some sort of rhythm in their lives. It rarely works - they can’t exactly predict when they have to assemble so they usually just catch sleep when they can. Anyway, things have changed both majorly and in more subtle ways. Lance’s leg is a more advanced model now; it looks sleeker, is generally sturdier, and he can make a blade extend from his heel. It doesn’t even need the maintenance he’s doing on it right now, it’s more like a nervous habit. Lance thinks it’s cool as fuck. That’s a subtle change. He kind of hopes the changes in his personality counts as subtle too. Or at least somewhat positive. It might be asking for too much, though, he knows he's developed a level of cynicism and a skill for manipulation. Death has become normal. He’s becoming numb. He doesn't entirely like it, but shit happens when you're an elite soldier.

Generally, and more obviously, the team has come a long way. They fight better, they know each other better, they are just… better. Except maybe their mental states. Those are probably… worse. Killing is easier than it should be. He reigns in that train of thought. He can’t allow himself to get too caught up on how damaged they all are, not this close to having present themselves as functional ambassadors for their cause.

The other major difference is that this time he can hear the sound of Keith running the sink tap in their bathroom. Because they share a room now. And a bed. And a life, really. Inseparable and totally in love. He wouldn’t have it any other way. Even if they can swing between passionate fucking and passionate arguing in a split second. Both of those have activities have increased in violence recently as well, if Lance is completely honest with himself. He tries not to be that honest though; it’s a sad reminder of how violence has become ingrained in their lives, normalised. He knows it’s the same for the rest of the team but, hey, whatever works. As long as they get the job done, make Allura proud, and support each other. And it's not like it's unwanted violence (Lance would be the first to admit his kinks got a bit messed up along the way), nor is it their entire relationship. There's a lot of gentleness too; a lot of love, a lot of cooperation, a lot of support. Support that his boyfriend really needs from him right now.

Keith’s thoughts are a constant buzzing in the back of his mind. All he needs to do is focus ever so slightly on it in order to hear what’s going on. They normally keep themselves reasonably detached, but that’s not going to help right now. It’s not even a privacy thing because they’ve talked about it and trust each other with their deepest thoughts at all times. It’s more for their own sanity, really. It’s only those highly charged, emotional occasions where they lose control of it and the barrier drops fully. During a desperate battle, or a bad argument, or when they’re having sex - it’s at these times that their minds bleed together and they can’t tell which consciousness is Lance and which is Keith - they become one and the same. The weightlessness, the overload of emotion, the void of their own minds. It’s disconcerting, but euphoric. It’s also dangerous. Early on, they nearly lost themselves and it took a lot of effort to be coaxed back into their separate bodies by the others, though they've gotten better since then.

Right now, however, he just wants to get a feel of Keith’s mental state, which has been a bit fragile since Allura’s announcement, so he tunes in. Keith is a mass of worry and fear, bordering on panic. His thoughts are a mess and it’s hard to make out a coherent thought, but Lance gets the gist. It’s about his appearance. The fact that he doesn’t look quite human anymore, and how people on Earth are going to react to that. Humans have never been great with ‘different’, Lance knows. If the reaction he and Keith both experienced to their sexualities was any indication, this was going to be painful. At best, Keith would be a novelty, like a freak at a fair. At worst? Well… He puts that thought aside with the other things he doesn’t want to examine.

_ Babe? _

Lance sends a gentle question over their telepathic link, but Keith  _ does _ panic then and drowns him out. He sighs again (he thinks he’s doing a lot of sighing today, and they only woke up a few hours ago) because now he knows for certain that something’s wrong. It’s not like the panic attacks are new. Hell, the entire team has had a few at varying points, and Keith has walked Lance through his own on more occasions than he’d like to admit. But Keith’s are rare, and the fact he’s had more than one in such a short amount of time is troubling. Especially because they can be very severe. He stands up smoothly and makes his way into the bathroom to offer comfort.

Keith is hunched over the sink, his hands bracing him as he stares into it, looking at nothing. He’s sucking in large breaths of air, pausing, then releasing, and Lance is honestly so proud because Keith is one of the strongest people he has ever known and trust him to be able to walk himself through his own breakdown. It still helps to have someone there for you though, so Lance quickly wraps his arms around Keith’s waist, pressing them chest to back, and letting his lips brush his neck.

“Ba-abe. Ke-eith.”

Lance draws out the words, wheedling, speaking them out loud at the same time as he says them directly into Keith’s mind. They don’t need to speak at all, technically, but they prefer to. It’s a good habit to keep; stops them from accidentally cutting others out of conversations, or forgetting how to talk at all. But when it’s just them, it’s easier to get their message across. It’s more intimate, more nuanced, more  _ them _ . Lance nuzzles behind Keith’s ear as he tries to calm him, following the curve of it, nibbling on the small metal cuffs towards the top, and brushing over the soft fur that creeps up the base. His mouth follows it all the way to the pointed tip, which he tugs slightly with his mouth. Keith huffs, but Lance can feel him relax and drop his defenses.

_ You okay now? I know you’re scared, babe. _

> _ I’m not- I’m not… _

There's a pause.

_ Scared? _

> _ I’m so fucking scared, Lance. Aren’t you? _

_ Terrified. _

> _ Really? _

Keith twists in his arms to look at his face, as if he has to search there to find out whether Lance is lying or not. Lance shrugs.

“What did you expect me to say?”

“I dunno. ‘Who, me? The great Lance? The dashing and charming blue paladin? Scared? Never!’”

“Do you want me to say that? If it’ll make you happy I’d tell you anything you wanted to here. Complete lies. ‘It’ll be fine, Keith, nothing will go wrong. Nobody will hate you’” He says it gently, nearly begging. He doesn’t want Keith to be scared, but he’s not going to lie to him. Not now, not like this. “Does it help at all?”

“No.” Keith mumbles back. And because he knows how much Lance is hurting alongside him, “I’m sorry.”

Lance just presses their lips together in response.

_ Don’t be. _

> _ How do you do it? How come you appear so brave? _

And Lance nearly laughs because, him? Brave? He doesn’t think he’s been brave a day in his life, really. But that’s the point, isn’t it? People think he is. People think he’s so completely filled with confidence and self-assurance when the simple truth is he’s not. He’s a wreck. Keith knows this. That’s exactly why he asked.

“Because I have to be.” He says aloud, and wow, that’s a terrifying throw back in time. The memory flashes through his head and Keith gets it. Of course he gets it, he was the one that said it first over a year ago. And because Keith understands, he kisses Lance. It’s soft, innocent, comforting. It gives them an anchor as emotions, memories and thoughts flick between them, using the past to distract themselves from the future.

Lance can’t help but remember the events that unfolded. Things had happened in such quick succession that it had caught them all off guard. He and Keith had become a actual couple. Two days later an accident had occurred that had melded their minds together permanently. It was something to do with a wormhole and their link to their lions. Lance had never really understood and he didn't remember the actual event very well, but suddenly he could hear Keith's thoughts as if he was saying them out loud. Scary, dangerous, but not all bad, so they accepted and adapted. It had taken them five days to be sufficiently functional to perform missions again; and they had done so much more efficiently and smoothly than before. Thank you, two-way mind reading.

Two more days and it had all come crashing down around them.

The pair had gone on a routine check of some old ruins on a picturesque planet. It was supposed to be uninhabited. Of course it was  _ supposed  _ to be; weren't they always? They had let their guards down and been ambushed. The Galra, as always, had attacked. The Paladins had been outnumbered and unprepared.

Keith had been captured.

Lance hadn't been able to do anything on his own, and then they had flown away to Alfor knew where, taking his world with them. All he could do was scream. The team had found Lance later, near comatose with the emotional agony of stretching the mental link. It was an indescribable pain, felt deep within his heart; something was desperately, entirely  _ wrong _ . They were searching for Keith before Lance had even awaken from his forced cryosleep in a more stable state and he'd never been more grateful.

A full four weeks later, they had finally tracked Keith down and it shaken them all. It was a scientific institution hidden away on the edges of an unwelcoming galaxy. The residents weren't Galra themselves, but it was clear they worked for Zarkon nonetheless. They had taken an interest in creating Galran chimeras, and Keith had become their favourite subject. Apparently humans were particularly compatible. He wasn't the only victim, but he was the only one they had been able to save. The anger from the whole team had been palpable, only getting worse as Lance had steeled himself and put a suffering experiment out of its misery. He hadn't even been able to tell what it had once been.

Lance had found Keith curled up in a filthy cell, shackles on his raw wrists, covered in dried blood and freshly bleeding from a cut on his head. Snarling, he'd shied away from Lance at first and long minutes passed before he finally recognised Lance and threw himself into his arms. It wasn't until they had him back at the castle, cleaned and healed, that they got a good look at the changes. Alien DNA had been spliced expertly with his own and had left Keith physically altered. Mostly Galran, but there seemed to be other bits and pieces to stabilise and specialise. His ears now swept up into a point, partially covered in fur, like that were stopped halfway into turning into cat ears (Lance suspected that Voltron had, in fact, interrupted the process). One of them had also been mauled at some point so it was now torn and ratty.

Keith's irises had become a bright gold that shone with an unnatural light when he was emotional or needed to see in the dark. His teeth they were sharper than they should have been, canines in particularly resembling very realistic vampire caps, and when Lance held Keith's hand he could feel the partially retractable claws that took the place of fingernails. Additionally, he had taken on a vague purple hue over his hair and skin, though with a bit of practice he learnt to suppress this enough that it barely showed unless he wanted it to.

Finally, there was an increase in Keith's physical abilities. Speed and strength, sight, hearing… The experiments had intended to turn him into an animal, a weapon. They had somewhat succeeded. The way he moved and held himself elicited images of a predator, like a panther stalking through a jungle. If he was known for his instincts before, they were even stronger now. Lance had felt Keith's hold on his sanity slip more than once, acting without thought, and needing to be calmed like one would sooth a wild animal.

Keith was dangerous and looked it. There was no doubt that everyone back on Earth was going to be scared of him. But Lance didn't think it mattered. Keith had  _ them. _ He had the paladins, and the Alteans. He had Lance. Who honestly (and slightly guiltily) found it hot as hell. And more importantly Lance loved him, no matter what. Always would. Loved him for the danger he presented and his ferocity and sometimes for his feral nature. He loved his ears and teeth and eyes. It was all Keith, and it didn't matter what he looked like. It was because of Lance's dedication, that Keith loved him back just as much. 

Back in the present, Lance pushed his lips harder against Keith's. The memories had flashed through their minds in mere seconds and now they had both been drawn back to the way the other feels pressed against them. Lance could drown in the heat of these kisses. He’s given his heart and soul to Keith, would follow him anywhere, trust his life to his hands. He would give Keith anything he ever asked for. But he doesn’t ask. Not really. He’s asked for Lance’s trust in the same way that he trusts Lance, and Lance gave it all. And that’s the core of their relationship. Even if they argue or tease or prank each other, they have complete and absolute trust in one another to have their backs. It means that on the battlefield they are a flawless team, in means that when they fight they always return. It means that Lance will still flirt shamelessly with nearly anyone they encounter and Keith doesn’t mind because at the end of the day, it’s his bed that Lance will be in.

Gods, Lance loves this boy.

Keith whines into his mouth, responding to his whirlwind of emotions; the overflowing affection and need to show it. Lance complies instantly, tilting his head and parting his lips, giving Keith access so his tongue can flick over Lance's teeth. Keith’s grip tightens on Lance’s shirt and then he’s pushing back, forcefully shoving Lance’s back into the bathroom wall. Air rushes out through Lance’s nose at the impact but he doesn’t break the kiss, instead wedging himself against the wall so he can wrap his legs around Keith’s waist. When they break apart, they’re both breathing heavily but Lance notices the smile dancing on Keith’s lips once more. Well, sometimes distraction is the best way to cope, and who is he to complain?

“So, how long do we have?”

Keith snorts, knowing exactly where Lance’s mind is taking him, but answers nonetheless.

“About five hours until we have to be back in the Control Room. Think that’s enough time for a nap?”

His tone is teasing and Lance just laughs. A nap honestly sounds great, but he also refuses to be led astray. He knows what he wants and no-one is going to tell him he  can’t have _both_. He kisses Keith again before answering.

“Mm, yeah but maybe, like, fuck me first? Then nap?”

Keith’s smile turns into something darker, hungrier, and his eyes flash. Lance feels his blood boil and his pulse race. It doesn’t matter how often he sees this, he’s pretty sure he’ll always have the same reaction. He shudders slightly as Keith nuzzles into his neck and tilts his head for better access. Fingers run over the sensitive scarring on his thigh where prosthetic meets flesh, drawing a whine of need from him.

_ Bed? _

The question flitters across his mind and he immediately sends back waves of agreement. They're about to go into a whole new situation with it’s own dangers, and they’re both scared, but for now they can have this. They can draw on each other for support and remind themselves that they’re still alive and together. Together, Lance is pretty sure they can do anything. And that includes the minefield of politics and bureaucracy. In a few hours they’ll be ready; standing behind Allura in their gleaming Paladin armour and back on Earth. Despite everything, he’s excited.

His back hits the bed, Keith’s warm lips meet his skin, and Lance’s brain stop running.


	6. VI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Paladins land on Earth... but does anything ever run smoothly?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's been another big gap in this and I'm sorry, as usual :/ but I've actually written a big chunk so hopefully you'll get at least 2 chapters before I disappear again! Maybe even three!! wouldn't that be something???
> 
> I'm also thinking of splitting this whole thing up into a Collection (with this as Part 1) because, although there's a major story arc, it kind of sits as backdrop for smaller arcs? so part 2 would start when Lance finally gets to see his family. What are your thoughts, readers?? :)
> 
> last note: there's been stuff about Allura's age recently and apparently she's a teenager? I'm not sure, but I started this well before that was a thing and it's kinda too late to change it now... plus it's only barely mentioned so I figure it won't be an issue....

It was time for touchdown.

They had all ended up in the control room a full hour before their scheduled arrival, too nervous and excited to wait patiently elsewhere. Allura went through some extra details while they were there. They had agreed that for the initial landing, they would wear their full suits, helmets and all. They didn't want their faces known just yet, it would hinder a lot of what they wanted to do. Allura would do all the talking but the aim was to get inside the base as fast as possible and brush off any reporters and the like. Hopefully they will only spend a few days establishing themselves at the Garrison before they can head home. It'll be a shock to their families, that's for sure. But they had other priorities first.

Lance mused on it while he stood, suited up, with his team. He never thought that any loyalty would override the one he had for his family, but then again nothing had been normal since the moment Shiro’s escape pod had landed in the desert that night. Now his loyalty was to Voltron. To Allura, and Shiro, and the rest of the Paladins. To Keith. No matter how much he wanted to see his mama again, his duty, his job, came first.

He was shaken from his thoughts quite literally as their Castleship entered the Earth atmosphere. He felt Keith's steadying hand on his arm but couldn't focus on him. He wasn't the only one all but vibrating with anticipation, he could feel their various mental signatures shooting off sporadically. Coran was chattering into their helmets, updated information mixed with nervous rambling. They didn't try to stop him.

The ship landed and the main doors hissed open. With one last deep breath to steady themselves, they followed their leaders out to face the planet they had left behind so long ago. Allura, of course, stepped out first, resplendent in her best new dress and looking like an actual goddess. Shiro is beside her, barely half a step behind.  The rest of them are in their usual formation; Keith to their leaders’ right with Lance behind him (probably standing slightly closer than necessary), Pidge and Hunk to the left. It's easy and comfortable for them to be arranged this way, though it also makes logical sense to have the shooters in the back row and close combat in the front. Not that they're expecting to get attacked today, but you can never predict these things and they're all on edge.

The light blinds them at first but as Lance blinks his eyes adjust and he just stares, his stomach churning. See, Lance likes people. Used to love public speaking and large crowds, but this is different. He's never stood in front of so many people before. A veritable sea of people, focusing solely on him and his team, their intentions uncertain. It's terrifying. He wants to run. At least, he does want to, until he sees the minute tremor of Keith’s hands. He pulls himself together, shuffling ever so slightly closer so he can offer a comforting touch. It’s not just the general public in the crowd, ogling them and trying to get a glimpse of the ‘aliens’. There’s reporters of all kinds, from nearly every country, scrambling to be a part of a historic moment. There’s politicians and celebrities, hoping to be involved - most of them will never get to meet the Paladins, but they don’t know how secretive they are yet. There's also scientists, eager to meet and study extraterrestrials or pester them for knowledge.

Finally, there's the military. They're the most concerning section of the crowd, there under the guise of an honourable greeting and similar rhetoric. Even if the civilians decide they're a threat, most of them don't openly carry huge guns and specialised weapons. And Lance doesn't think he can even fault them for being there. He gets being cautious about them arriving. Every single paladin has at least one hidden weapon on their person for self defence (Keith basically  _ is _ a weapon). Not to mention if they had turned out to be imposters, or a threat in any way, he would want to be able to protect his home.

So, he doesn't begrudge their presence, but if something goes wrong - if there's any sort of misunderstanding - it will be a complete shitshow. It's Allura's job to make sure that doesn't happen. Allura, who has stepped forward, gorgeous smile on her face, to speak into the expectant silence.

“Greetings, citizens of Earth!” She begins. Lance and Pidge tried to convince her to say ‘greetings, Earthlings, I come in peace’ but they had been foiled by a far too honest Hunk. Lance let his lips twitch into a small smile at the memory.

Allura is still speaking, but Lance is only half listening. He's scanning the crowd for threats instead.

He knows the spiel already anyway. She’s introducing Voltron and their mission, thanking the planet for welcoming them; all the usual ambassador things she’s good at. She keeps it short though and then some people (a military leader and another person who’s probably the latest president or something) step forward to welcome them. He’s sure they were planning on giving long winded speeches about peace and cooperation and all the usual shit, but Allura is her amazing self and doesn’t let them get into it. Instead she expresses that she would be honoured to answer a few press questions before retiring because her team has had a long journey and is tired. This is, of course, agreed to, because Allura is damn  _ good _ at what she does. So far, the entire experience is going exactly how they wanted it - they’re in control.

Lance doesn’t really expect the very first question to be the thing that gives them pause.

“Can we not see the Paladins’ faces?” A reporter pipes up. “Surely we would feel safer knowing the faces of those who are piloting these ‘weapons’.”

Lance scowls, glad that no one can see his expression under his helmet. He knows for a fact that Allura is annoyed, but there’s zero outward show of it and he’s really thankful for that.

“I can do it.” Keith’s soft voice sounds through his headpiece. “They’ll feel better seeing one face over none, and I don’t look human so I’m not identifiable.”

“Like hell you will.” Lance hisses back. “It’ll put your face everywhere. It’ll put you in more danger than anyone else.” He can feel Keith winding up to argue back. He even knows what all his arguments will be and he has a counter for every single one because Keith’s plan is stupid. Fortunately, Shiro’s voice interrupts before they start arguing on stage.

“Fall back, Keith. Helmet stays on. Allura said no.”

Lance relaxes again as Keith backs down. Apparently Allura is feeding Shiro signals as she expertly deflects questions that could ruin them. He re-tunes in to hear her assure that they will be revealed soon, but after discussions with world leaders. The few other questions she allows aren’t nearly as difficult and she manages to give them all sufficient answers without actually revealing anything. Lance is taking notes, honestly. He’s pretty sure he’s going to be her diplomatic protege at some point in the future; she’s hinted as much.

Finally, it’s over. With fanfare and cheers, they’re escorted to some military vehicles for transport to the base they’ll be using as their on-planet headquarters. As they clear the crowds and finally pass through the main gates, Lance finally releases a long breath. The first part is over. Everyone on the base will be sworn to secrecy, so they’ll be safe. Safe enough, at least, to be themselves a little and not hide their faces. On to the next part.

  
\-------------------  
  


Shiro sighs as he pulls off his helmet and tries his hardest not to facepalm. It took all of about two seconds after walking into the privacy of the military building for drama to start. Drama being Lance, ripping of his helmet to yell at Keith.

“What the hell were you thinking, planning to expose your face like that?” He snaps. Shiro knows it comes from a place of worry, though he could probably address it better. Not that he actually wants to get involved. Lance’s and Keith’s relationship makes sense to noone except Lance and Keith, and they sort themselves out every time. Still, the team that greeted the Paladins are starring in what looks like shock so they're going to have to leave their lovers quarrel for another time.

“Boys. Enough.” He can feel Keith’s temper burning near breaking point already. “Keith. Stand down. Now is not the time for this.”

He doesn't like telling them to stand down, it feels like calling dogs to heel. But sometimes it's needed, and the Paladins respond to it. They've been trained to.

Trusting his team to look after themselves for the moment, he stepped up beside Allura who was being greeted by an older man in a formal uniform.

“Welcome, Princess Allura and Paladins of Voltron. I am Major Reed. I will be in charge of your stay in this base and your safety during your stay. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you need anything.”

“Thank you, Major. We look forward to working with you.” She motioned towards Shiro, “I’d like to meet Shiro, the Black Paladin and head of the Paladins.”

“Takashi Shirogane.” He clarified with a nod to the officer. “I lead the team on the field.”

“Welcome. It’ll be a pleasure working with you. Though, I must admit,” Reed glanced behind Shiro to wear the other Paladins were removing their helmets. “I didn’t expect our galactic heroes to be huma-” 

He cut off suddenly, staring over Shiro’s shoulder. By the gasps and hushed chatter, Shiro could guess what had happened. Keith had removed his helmet, and in his state of heightened emotions, chances were his alien features were showing clearly. Before any comments could be made though, Shiro spoke up.

“Yep, apart from Allura we’re all human, more or less. Modifications all around, but human. I know it’s a surprise, but that’s one reason we didn’t show our faces outside. You understand.”

Reed cleared his throat, refocusing on Shiro. “Yes, yes. Of course. Ah… How about you and Princess Allura follow me and we’ll discuss security measure and your plans. I’ll get someone to show your team to their quarters and the food hall, if they would like.”

Nodding, Shiro turned and returned to the rest of the Paladins, leaving Allura to wait with the Major, who was yelling directions to members of his team.

“ _ You guys hear what’s going on? _ ” He spoke in Altean for added secrecy, though it probably wasn’t needed. They all nodded in confirmation; Keith would have picked it all up clearly and repeated it back to them. “ _ Good. Relax a bit. Try not to cause any incidents. _ ”

He left them be, rejoining Allura in following Reed while another soldier approached the Paladins with a salute (and a wary eye on Keith) to show them around. Shiro hoped they would behave. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust them, but they weren’t used to control and discipline on this level. Plus they were on edge and prone to outbursts - Keith and Pidge in particular, but Lance and Hunk could be just as bad in the right circumstances. No matter what though, he knew they would be there for each other, so he didn’t look back. He did, however, roll his eyes with a fond smile as he heard Keith and Lance’s quiet bickering start up again.

  
\-------------------  
  


Lance stood where he had been taking his annoyance out on an innocent punching bag to blink at Pidge in stunned surprise. After a moment he shook himself enough to speak.

“What?”

Pidge snorted in amusement at his confusion. “You heard me. Nearly all the other soldiers think you and Keith loathe each other.”

Lance just blinked again. He opened his mouth to ask  _ ‘how’  _ but quickly shut it again to think. He supposed it wasn’t as weird as he’d initially thought. For those that didn’t know them, those that didn’t see them in private spaces, they might come off as cold or even antagonistic towards each other. It’s not like they had meant to give that impression, but they had agreed to keep their relationship on the down low for the moment and it was honestly driving them both a little insane. It was one of the reasons he was here now, in the gym, blowing up steam. And he knows that they bicker a lot, but it never means anything other than keeping boredom at bay. But that probably isn’t obvious to outsiders.

So, was this view of them a bad thing? Well, not really, but Lance was getting sick of hiding and not being able to lavish attention on his boyfriend whenever he wanted. Not to mention, he hadn’t gotten laid since they landed, which had been a whole  _ three days _ ago. Look, it was a long time for him and Keith! And they still didn’t know how long until they would be allowed to leave. Negotiations were still ongoing.

“What are your thoughts?” He finally returned his attention to Pidge. Chances were she wouldn’t have sought him out and brought it up unless she had an opinion about it.

“I think it’s stupid. It’s clearly stressing the both of you out, for one. And giving an inaccurate impression of our team, for two. Besides, since when do you miss an opportunity to mess with people? And, lastly, I think it’ll help people get used to Keith if they know that he’s capable of affection and not hated by his team.”

She had a point. Many points. All good ones. And Lance wasn’t about to argue them. He was over this facade. With a nod, he walked past Pidge towards the door, ignoring her triumphant grin. He was going to get his boyfriend back.

Lance knew for a fact that Keith was in the training dojo, working through his frustrations the same way that Lance had just been. What he didn’t expect was for a decent group of soldiers to be watching him, either stopped where they had been working previously, or crowded near the door. They let Lance in as soon as they spotted him and he paused briefly to take in the scene in front of him. He didn’t blame them for being entranced by Keith. Lance had stopped to watch him train more times than he count count. It was beautiful. He moved with a supernatural grace and speed as he twisted and spun, sparring against invisible enemies. Soon enough, though, Lance made a decision and started moving again. He shucked off his jacket and, after a moment's thought, his shirt as well, before stepping towards the mat.

Lance knew that Keith was already aware of his presence in the room. He would have felt him get closer from the second he’d left Pidge. Keith didn’t stop moving, but Lance saw his ears twitch as they followed the sound of his approach. Smirking slightly, Lance started to circle Keith. It was enough to convey his intent to spar and Keith responded, easing back his acrobatics to settle into a defensive stance and properly face Lance.

They circled for a few more moments, concentration honing in on each other, cutting out distractions. They also needed to make sure they couldn’t outright read the other’s mind. Not that it made a huge difference; they had sparred against each other enough that their matches could flow like water if they wanted it to. However, that’s not what Lance had in mind today; he was aiming for rough, crude, and dirty. They were going to come away from this bloody and bruised. And so much happier.

As always, impatience urged Keith into acting first, stepping forward to throw a high, sweeping heel kick towards Lance’s torso. Lance could have stepped out of range easily, but instead he moved forward, into the arc of the kick and aimed a hard jab at Keith's sternum. It caught Keith off guard, causing him to cough out a breath a stumble backwards. He finally looked at Lance, eyes narrowed with a question and a warning. Lance wasn't in the mood to answer, however. Nor was he in the mood to allow Keith to fight with the calm grace he had been using. Keith was burying his emotions under hard won patience and focus. But Lance had more, thanks to his sniper training. He was also significantly better at annoying Keith. He'd had  _ a lot _ of practice at that and he wanted Keith to snap.

Before Keith could properly recover, Lance was in his space again, sending light jabs towards his face and forcing him on the defensive before falling out of range again. Keith's recovery this time was faster, but still not fast enough to stop Lance repeating the manoeuvre. The punches weren’t really enough to bother Keith, who's reaction times were much faster than Lance could ever hope. What it was doing, was getting under Keith's skin. Bothering him, pushing him, testing his patience. The ever increasing scowl on Keith's face, and the irritated twitch of his ears, told Lance it was very much working.

Finally, Lance got what he was after. Keith got angry. His skin rippled into a darker shade of purple. Claws and teeth sharpened into points that could rip and tear, then mostly retracting again (he had no plans to actually kill Lance, despite appearances to the contrary). With a snarl, he lunged at Lance, all composure crumbling away in an instant. Smirk growing, Lance dived in to meet him.   


**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Klance is the main relationship and in some ways the main focus.  
> Shallura is kind of there in the background.  
> There's no other relationships.  
> Yes, Pidge is a girl in this.  
> No, I'm not going to discuss any of the characters sexualities in detail. They're either implied or left to your imagination.
> 
> Am also updating on Tumblr as Legendarydragondefender!! Please give me a follow!!


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